Quotes to Big Bear

As I’m shifting my weight, sticking my knee out and pushing on the handlebars to counter steer, I have a quote from the movie Swingers running thru my mind. “You like a big bear, man…”. Of course when Trent was saying it to Mike he was referring to picking up women. To finish the quote, “and you have these claws and you don’t know how to kill the bunny”. Classic. But for me, today the bunny was the next curve coming up. And my claws are none other than my trusty Ducati Multistrada. Not that I didn’t know how to take the curve safely at a moderate speed, or rather “kill the bunny”. But Swingers is one of my favorite movies and I know that I have so much more to learn about the art of cornering.

Early Saturday morning Mike and I headed out for another motorcycle camping trip. This trip’s destination was Camp Serrano at Big Bear Lake (which is why I was thinking of the Swingers quote). One thing different about this trip is that we are meeting our families there. They are driving separately and leaving much later and meeting us at camp. Although we could of easily packed everything in the vehicles. Mike and I packed our bikes as if we were going alone. Two reasons. 1st, we are getting ready for our big ride in July when we are going to ride to Laguna Seca for the MotoGP and we are going to camp for the weekend. We wanted to see what we should bring and what would work and not work on loading the bikes. And 2nd, both of us are self-reliant and incase the families didn’t make it or had to turn around for some reason. We wouldn’t be stuck in the mountains without any gear.

Randy didn’t join us this time because it was his girlfriend’s sister’s friend’s aunt’s birthday party, or some other excuse. He really missed out. Hope you had an extra piece of cake, Randy.

Per our standards, Mike and I took the LONG WAY there. We met at our usual spot, the Coffee Bean in Irvine. For the first part of the trip we took our beaten path down to Temecula. Which is heading to Laguna to see the ocean along PCH. Then taking Ortega Hwy to Lake Elsinore. And then the back way around to Temecula. Since we were on sort of a time frame we didn’t take our favorite De Luz – Sandia Creek loop thru Fallbrook. But we did stop at the intersection to take a break.

So far it was a decent morning but we could tell it was going to be great day. While riding along the coast on Pacific Coast Highway there was a thick marine layer that hung like a blanket over us. But as we were riding thru Ortega, the sun broke thru with a vengeance and shined for the rest of the day. With it being the beginning of spring everything was starting to bloom. It was an amazing experience to smell the salt of the ocean, vineyards and orchards of Temecula, dirt of the desert, pines of the mountains and everything else along the way, all on one ride. Along with the scents, the bugs were in full force today. It was definitely a visor down type of day. And for every 10 or 15 bugs that hit my visor, one of them would get me in the neck. I don’t know how they do it, but there is less than an inch of exposed skin from the top of my collar to the bottom of the helmet. But those little peckers got me there at least 7 or 8 times. I started calling those bugs, the snipers.

Once past Temecula, the ride really picked up. It was one of the days that everything felt right. I was in a zone and became one with my bike. I was applying everything I learned on the track day and what a difference it made in my riding. The lyric from Fugazi’s song Blueprint popped in my head – “Cause what a difference, a little difference will make”. Thank you Matthias and Fastrack Riders for all that you do. Speaking of which I cant wait to get another track day fix on June 15th. But anyways, we were having such a great time riding and just moving at a good pace we didn’t want to stop a lot. So I didn’t get a whole lot of pictures of us riding. But here is Mike along Wilson Valley road.

I planned out the route on Microsoft’s Streets and Trips. I normally don’t boast about anything created by the evil empire. But that is one nice piece of software. Creating your own waypoints and calculating time, distance and gas needed. And it has everything from highways to dirt roads on it. It is a must have when planning obscure routes. Since we were taking a new route and I wasn’t about to bring my laptop. I wrote down some simple directions on a piece of paper and kept it in the sleeve of my suit. When we stopped on De Luz road, I must of dropped the directions because when we stopped for lunch in Anza, they were gone. And I couldn’t help but smile. It only added to the adventure. If we did get lost, chances are it would be on a cool road and we would get to do it twice. When I broke the news to Mike, he had the same reaction that I did. It was as if it was good news to us. Both of us like to plan and prepare for any trip as much as we can, but once it starts, just go with it. Everything good or bad is part of the adventure. To quote Charley Boorman from the book Long Way Round – “Imperfections in the journey is what makes the journey perfect”. Nail on the head there, Charley.

After lunch we continued down the 371 to the 74, hung a left and headed towards Lake Hemet. That is a really nice ride. Not full of twisties but dropping out of the high desert mountain of Cahuilla into a valley of pine trees, is a great change in scenery. Then we took the 243 up and through Idyllwild. We were planning on stopping there, but the pace was too good and neither of us needed to take a leak. So we headed down the backside of the mountain, or front side I guess, depends where you’re looking from. We did pull over before the final stretch down to Beaumont to take some pics. Mike also posed his new Dainese track suit he got. With the color scheme, he says he looks like a Power Ranger. Its hard to argue with him on that one.

The closer we got down to Beaumont, the hotter it became. The cool mountain air was being rapidly replaced with smog and feeling of being in an arm pit. I really do love the variety of California. We gassed up and started the final leg of the ride. We took Beaumont Ave north which turns into Oak Glen road. Holy Crap Batman, that was a cool road. Its fun if you go at a moderate pace. But if you’re on the throttle and on your toes, it becomes a very technical road. Really tight S-turns when you don’t expect them. A few 270 degree turns for your liking. Kinda narrow and not a whole lot of room for error. The road made my sweat and pulse increase even higher. You cant ask for much more.

Last but not least, we hopped on the 38 going up the mountain. At this point in the day, Mike and I had settled into a groove so deep, we weren’t coming out of it until we put our kickstands out. It was the type of the day that the mountains were speaking to you. There was no decipherable message, no words that I can repeat or write here. But the voice inside the mountain gave you the feeling of a little kid climbing all over his dad. Having the time of your life. The 38 is the fastest mountain road I have ever been on. Long wide sweepers, nice straights, S-turns with plenty of viz ahead. Great ending to a perfect day of riding.

By the time we had finally arrived at camp it was 2:30pm. Our families had pulled up 20 minutes before us and made it ok. We were beat and ready to take off the boots. It was one of those rides that makes you say “That was awesome but I’m glad its finally over, and I cant wait to get up tomorrow and ride again”.

Camp Serrano is a really nice campground. A little pricey, but they do have clean bathrooms and showers (if you need those types of facilities) and it is a short hike to the lake.

The ride back home the next day was far less epic. We didn’t hit the road until almost 2:30. So we took the quick way home and only stopped once for gas and once for a last picture. But we did load all our gear into the vehicles so we were lighter and more nimble. It almost made us want to take the long way back, but we both had things to take care of before dragging our sorry butts back to work the next day.

I will end this mini-novel with a quote from Neil Peart’s book Road Show – “When I’m riding my motorcycle, I’m glad to be alive. When I stop riding my motorcycle, I’m glad to be alive”.

PS - I don’t know how that turned out so long but my fingers are tired from all that jibber-jabbering. My next post will be in 2 weeks from the small island of Bonaire, off the coast of Venezuela. I’m back in the water for a week of testing fins with ScubaDiving magazine.

Streets of Willow

I think I have discovered legal heroin, and Fastrack Riders is my dealer. On Friday Randy and I took track school with Fastrack Riders at Streets of Willow, and I'm hooked. I am now a junkie. I've been trying to think of how to describe how I felt after doing my first track day. My first thought is, its like trying to describe how you felt after you had sex for the 1st time. But different. It would be like having sex for the 1st time while on a roller coaster that lasted 20 minutes long. Since it would be impossible for me to capture those feelings with my limited vocabulary, I will simply write about the events of the day. I might start really jibber-jabbering so bare with me.

The Prep -
When going to the track, you have 3 options. Ride your street bike, rent a bike or ride your track bike. Since riding our street bikes was the cheapest option. Randy and I went with that. If you are going to ride your street bike you need to prep it 1st before it will be allowed on the track. 1st and foremost, make sure you have new or good tires. My Multi came stock with Pirelli Diablos, which I recently just picked up a new set, so I was good on that. Next you need to tape your headlight and remove the fuse. Also you need to tape your blinkers and brake light and pull the fuse for those. But I quickly found out that on my Multi, the fuse for the blinkers and brake light is also the same fuse for the fuel injection and starter. So I left the fuse in, and completely removed the blinker/mirrors and the rear blinker/brake light/license plate assembly. You also need to tape your wheel weights. Fastrack didn't require safety wire or water wetter, but some other tracks do.

Getting there -

Since Streets of Willow is in Rosamond which is a good 2.5 hour drive without traffic and you have to check in at 7am, we opted to go up the night before and stay in Lancaster at the Essex hotel. Which gives a discount to track riders. Mike offered us his trailer, his mechanical expertise and photography skills for the day, and we are forever grateful. We ended getting on the road around 8. Once we just got past LA, we stopped for gas and some food. And just as we were walking back to the truck to get back on the road. We heard a hissing sound coming from the back tire of Mikes truck. Luckily we heard it when we did, cause it would of sucked trying to change the flat on the side of the freeway in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. So after changing the flat and getting back on the road we didn't get to Lancaster till midnight. We checked into the hotel and 5 and a half hours later we were waking up and getting ready. The sun was still rising on the way to the track.

The morning -
The gates opened at 6:30am, and its $10 a person to get in, whether you're riding or not. We were one of the 1st ones there so we got a close spot to the track entrance and concession stand. Registration started at 7am. Riders taking the school have to be suited up and ready to ride at 8am. So you have an hour to set up your pits, register, take your bike to the tech and get it inspected, get dressed and be sitting on your bike at the track entrance. The instructors then take you out for a couple of sighting laps at a slow pace. I thought we were only going to do 3 laps, but we ended up doing about 6 laps. Each lap a little faster but still a moderate pace.

The class -

This was some of the best money I ever spent. The class portion was run really well and moved like clockwork thru out the day. The instructor ration was 3 to 1 and they were really helpful and knowledgeable. To signify that you are in the class y ou get to wear colored jerseys over your leathers. Randy and I got the purple ones, better than the yellow ones in my book. After we rode our 20 minute session we went into the classroom right away. In the classroom for 30 minutes. Then we had about 10 minutes to get ready before your next riding session. And repeat the same schedule every hour until 1pm. From then on we still rode in the Level 1 sessions but on our own without the instructors, to practice what we have been learning.

Since it was our 1st time at the track, it was required that we take the class. I would of taken it anyways because I learned so much in 1 day. And you never realize how many bad habits you have until you have an instructor point them out to you. Once you correct them, you cant believe what a huge difference it makes in your riding. One of my worst habits that our instructor Mattias pointed out is that I always turn into the corner to early. Which causes me to miss the correct apex and then go wide coming out of the corner. Even after showing me the correct lines, every now and then I would fall back into the same habit and turn in too early. But part of it is think my personality. When I was a kid I couldn't wait to open my presents. Either for Christmas or birthday, it didn't matter. I couldn't wait to open them. And corners are like presents to me. I cant wait to get into them. This is something I will still continue to work on.

The Track -

They say you never forget your 1st. I know I will never forget the 1st time I rode Streets. Its a smaller tighter slower track than the Big Track at Willow. Which was perfect for us.

The entrance to the track was at the beginning of the front straightway that starts going uphill, so right away you pick up some good speed. Turn1 was a fast right hand turn still going uphill, that I kept on the throttle and just leaned into it. Turn 2 was one of my favorite turns. Its a tight right hand decreasing radius turn. By the end of turn it spits you out going downhill into a short straight before Turn 3, a tight left hand turn at the bottom of the hill. Exiting turn 3 you are going back uphill into Turn 4. The tightest turn of the track. Randy and I agreed, Turn 4 was our least favorite. The pavement right before the turn is patchy and bumpy. I never found a good line or rhythm going thru it. Turns 5, 6 and 7 are all fast sweepers. Each faster than the other picking up speed until you get to Turn 8, also called "The Bowl". Turn 8 is the fastest and most banked out of al the corners. Coming out of Turn 8 throws you into the back straight. This was the fastest part of the track for me. You have too much to worry about and not supposed to look at your speedo. I couldn't help it on the straights, every now and then. On the back straights I was hitting 95mph. At the end the straight it slopes downhill so you cant see Turns 9 and 10 until you are hitting Turn 9. Both corners are not really corners and you can almost go straight thru them. Coming down the straight and flying thru Turns 9 and 10 gave me a lot of speed coming up to Turn 11. Which gave me a couple of "Oh Shit" moments because I was coming in too fast. Turns 12 and 13 are quick little turns that lead up to my favorite, the most fun turn. Turn 14, which is a wide right turn on the "Skid Pad". I scraped my brake pedal and pegs the most on this turn. Its also the turn I got closest to putting my knee down. My knee never actually touched but I was within an inch or two.

Safety -
One thing that was constant and always present was the concern for safety. Throughout the day they would make announcements over the loudspeaker, if you're tired, skip a session and rest. Also there was an ambulance sitting at the end of the track ready to go. Not one in the area just in case, but actually on constant standby for the whole day. Every time I looked over, there were two paramedics sitting inside the ambulance ready to go as soon as a rider went down. I did see 2 different riders go down during the day. Both of them were in level 2 and happened around noon. Which the instructors told us is when most of the accidents happen. But when the riders went down. Everyone exited the track and the "Crash Truck" was right there to pick up the rider and bike. Both riders were ok and everyone else resumed riding right away.

End of the day -

By the end of the day you are beat. Mentally, physically and spiritually (depending on how many "Oh Shit" moments you had). Tires take the brunt of the beating of the track. But I was able to all but eliminate my "Chicken Strips" on the side of the tires. But also because my Multistrada wasn't designed especially for the track, it scrapes a lot. On the left side I was scraping my peg and the side stand as well. On the right I really scraped the brake pedal a lot and a little on the peg. I will definitely raise my brake pedal before my next track day. And once I get better at hanging off, it should help with scraping the pegs.

Final Thoughts -
I went to the track to become a better, safer rider. I learned a lot about how to properly take a corner and more importantly if I didn't take it correctly, I learned how to safely get myself out of danger. Although I feel that I am now a faster rider, I am not going to take what I learned at the track and use it to ride faster on the street. I am going to take what I learned and use it to make me a safer rider on the streets. And when I have the desire to go fast and push the limits, I will be "Taking it to the track".

For more pictures go here.

Accessories

One thing that is synonymous with motorcycles is what you buy and add on to your bike once you have it. I haven't added a lot to my bike. But here is what I have added so far.

Famsa Side Bags - I went back and forth for awhile on whether to get hard cases or soft bags like these. Hard cases are great because you can lock them and some of them are even big enough to hold your helmet. But they are a lot more than soft bags, especially the DP (Ducati Performance) cases. And I am only really going to use them on camping trips and occasionally when I have carry something with me. So the soft bags were the best choice for me. Once I decided to go with soft bags. It was either the Tour Master or the Famsa bags. The Famsa were a lot more, but they were made especially for the Multistrada and come with a spacer for the perfect fit. And I think they look so much better.

I've also added fork and frame sliders from Motovation. There were a couple of different sliders to go with. Cyclecat was the other top contenders for me. But I went with Motovation because I like the way they looked and read they hold up really well in the event you lay it down. After I placed the order, I knew I made a good choice. When I ordered them I wanted to get the sliders before the weekend ride. So I selected 3 ground shipping. Within a couple of hours of placing the order on the Motovation website I got a call from Kyle and he told me that if he ships them regular ground they will get to me at the same time and save me $10. I was really impressed that he did that. Not many companies have that type of customer service. I will definitely order more parts from them in the future.

I've also added a Zero Gravity smoke wind screen. Its a little higher than the stock screen, but not much. It does help with the wind on the freeways. And looks much better than the stock windshield.